“I plan to use a portable generator as backup for my home in case of a power outage. I'm told the generators are not suitable for use with sensitive electronics. Will this APC unit protect my computer equipment when using the backup generator?”
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Thank you for your interest in our products. Usually when a customer using a generator I recommend getting at least a BackUPS Pro UPS. The BN900M is part of the BackUPS line and there is a chance that the power coming from the generator would be too dirty for the UPS. You may need drop the sensitivity down to low as well so the UPS doesn't stay on battery all the time. A SmartUPS Online would work the best with a generator.
Sorry, there was a problem. Please try again later.We purchased the APC BN900M in July. It is connected to a DELL XPS desktop PC and its monitor. We have experienced several minor, and one longer power outage. The unit kept the PC on quite nicely. We had plenty of time to shut the PC down without any harm. We detect no difference in PC performance. The instructions say its functions are "Receive power from the battery for a limited time when a power outage, or brownout occurs. Provide protection from power surges or spikes." The suggested use in the instructions say "Connect a computer, monitor and other critical peripheral devices that need to remain on during power outages or AC problems." Software can be downloaded which performs a graceful shutdown in cases where the user may not be on site to shut things down. This feature has not been used yet.
Sorry, there was a problem. Please try again later.I'm not an electrician but been in IT (retired now) for 35 years. My experiences tells me the output from generators cannot always be predictable and surges can occur without notice due to surges that other devices (fridge, coffee pot, other) can create or need during a power outage. When compressors/other devices need to kick in (startup power needs) there's a brief moment of power fluctuations (surges of less or more power) put on the generator which can potentially cause problems with computers connected to outlets within the house. Why? There are tolerances designed into computer devices and if these tolerances are exceeded then the risk of damage exists. Yes the APC UPS is a great piece of equipment to project your PC device(s) but there's no absolute guarantee of continuous/safe power in a house while running on a portable generator. You can check with APC but I do not think they designed this model to safely protect equipment running on portable power. I've got a portable and would NOT fire up my EXPENSIVE PC while on a generator even with this awesome UPS by APC. I use a laptop if I need PC access, and of course for laptop access your modem and router should be connected to a APC. Ultimately it's always better to be safe than sorry with expensive desktops/gaming PCs. There are a plethora of white papers on the Internet discussing this topic.
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